Homeland & Other PoemsIfowodo was a frontline student leader in the early eighties and is a lawyer and civil rights activist. In 1996 he was a writer-in-residence at the Heinrich Boell Foundation. He was imprisoned between 1997 and 1998 and was subsequently adopted by PEN. This is his first collection of poetry which won the 1993 Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize. Many of the poems are responses to politics; or spring from the tensions between writing political poetry, or art for art's sake, and other competing subjects of poetry, such as romantic love. The poet, quoting Neruda, first asks the reader expecting a poetic celebration of his natural world to 'come see the blood in the streets'. In the section section he writes tributes to Tracey Chapman, Winnie and Nelson Mandela and Margeret Thatcher ('the butcher'). The subject of the third section is the rediscovery of romantic love, amidst and beyond turmoil and oppression. |
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Page 8
... you walked to me ( iii ) If one looks at your face ( iv ) The cock may crow thrice ( v ) You sensed the terror of the times ( vi ) The space you left behind Nkiru ( tomorrow's song ) 399 59 59 60 61 62 63 66 67 " I today's song Would ...
... you walked to me ( iii ) If one looks at your face ( iv ) The cock may crow thrice ( v ) You sensed the terror of the times ( vi ) The space you left behind Nkiru ( tomorrow's song ) 399 59 59 60 61 62 63 66 67 " I today's song Would ...
Page 66
Ogaga Ifowodo. ( vi ) The space you left behind ( for one who came , and naturally , left ) The space you left behind is now a field of weeping willows sadness spread to a wandering toe is the nourishing tap root . I walk this field in ...
Ogaga Ifowodo. ( vi ) The space you left behind ( for one who came , and naturally , left ) The space you left behind is now a field of weeping willows sadness spread to a wandering toe is the nourishing tap root . I walk this field in ...
Page 67
Ogaga Ifowodo. The space you left behind has grown a forest of memories which I cannot pluck from their heart - hidden place to scatter about in stuttering words . Now I wish same poetry that opens me to ravages of deep longings would ...
Ogaga Ifowodo. The space you left behind has grown a forest of memories which I cannot pluck from their heart - hidden place to scatter about in stuttering words . Now I wish same poetry that opens me to ravages of deep longings would ...
Contents
For arts sake | 11 |
Poem to the child of my time | 32 |
Mandelas mantle | 41 |
Copyright | |
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anger anguish arms asked August battle bear beast beneath bitter bleeding blood bones break breath broken brows carved cast child close colours count crocodiles cross daily dance death December deep dust dying earth evil eyes face fading faith fear feet fire flesh flowing forest gathered graves grow guns hand harvest head hear heart heat hope horns January kill laughter lay dying leaves light living marched mark memory mouth muscle needing night pain past paths plead pledged POEMS poetry poison prize rain rising rivers roads sadness sand season seek serve shadow soldier song Soon sorrows soul space stars stone streets surer taste tears teeth terror things thirst tongue tree truth turn voice walk walls wear weeping whip wider winds wondered wounds